Home Office

Visas: Afghanistan

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will introduce universal visa fee waivers for Afghan national spouses and dependents of British nationals.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance grants by nationality in the 'Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release'. Data on the number of visas granted to Afghan nationals is published in table Vis_D02 of the 'entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets'. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the 'Notes' page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2022. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The 'contents' sheet contains an overview of all available data on entry clearance visas.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the 'Research and statistics calendar'

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Government Assistance

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support farmers in (a) Wiltshire and (b) the UK with rising costs.

Victoria Prentis: Farming in England is going through the biggest change in a generation. These unprecedented times mean that it is all the more important that the Government's approach to working with the farming sector changes too. Defra is continuing to improve its policies and services, making them more effective, fairer, flexible, accessible and more workable for farmers. The Government has announced a range of measures in England in response to the turbulence of the current market.In response to the global rising costs around the price of fertiliser, Defra released new guidance to help farmers in limiting their use of slurry and other farmyard manure at certain times of the year.Defra also announced changes to the use of urea fertiliser - delaying a planned industry farm assurance scheme which was due to start this year by at least a year. This will help farmers to manage their costs, giving them more time to adapt.Defra has set up a Fertiliser Taskforce to address the impact of global supply pressures on farming, seeking to improve market confidence, whilst providing famers with the information they need to make business decisions on fertiliser use.Additionally, Defra announced a permanent change to the way we make payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). We know that the price of agricultural commodities has always been closely correlated to energy prices - meaning farmers carry an increased risk on their profit and loss account, creating increased pressure on short term cash flow. We will now make BPS payments in two instalments (one from the end of July, the other December). This will give farm businesses an advanced injection of cash - with the hope of enabling farmers to make business decisions with more confidence in these uncertain times. To provide further support we have also increased Countryside Stewardship rates by an average of 30%.Farmers are now able to apply for funding under the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The initial offer pays farmers for taking care of their soil or assessing the condition of moorland. We have to set out plans to rollout payments for actions related to nutrient management, hedgerows and integrated pest management, and will confirm the full details of these standards before the end of the year.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Advertising

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department spent on advertising in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Amanda Milling: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Department of Health and Social Care

Incontinence: Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review entitled First Do No Harm, published on 8 July 2020, how many people with stress urinary incontinence have been treated with mesh (a) slings and (b) tapes at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust between (i) 1 July 2018 and 1 July 2019, (ii) 2 July 2019 to 1 July 2020, (iii) 2 July 2020 to 1 July 2021 and (iv) 2 July 2021 to 11 July 2022.

James Morris: We are unable to provide the information requested on the number of patients with stress urinary incontinence treated with slings at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust from 2 July 2019 to 1 July 2020. This is due to the small number of patients involved which could lead to the identification of individuals. However, no patients were treated with slings between 1 July 2018 and 1 July 2019 or between 2 July 2020 and 11 July 2022.No patients with stress urinary incontinence were treated with mesh tape at the Trust between 1 July 2018 and 11 July 2022.

Radioligand Therapy

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the levels of regional variation in the provision of radioligand therapy across England.

James Morris: No specific assessment has been made.Where treatments, such as radioligand, are approved via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals, NHS England seek to ensure appropriate access for patients within the license of the treatment. NHS England is appointing a new National Specialty Advisor for Nuclear Medicine to ensure the opportunities for approved radioligand therapies are realised.

Health Services: Temperature

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for potential increased pressure on the health service in the context of forecasted heatwaves in July 2022.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) ‘Heatwave Plan for England’ provides guidance for the National Health Service and other professional bodies to reduce the risks to health from prolonged exposure to severe heat. The UKHSA and the Met Office issue heat alerts to relevant health and social care professionals, providing advance warning of high temperatures to ensure that the impact of heat on people's health is minimised.All NHS organisations have contingency plans for extreme heat, which are tailored for local needs. Regional NHS bodies can provide additional support during periods of higher demand for services, where this is required.

Health Services: Temperature

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure that NHS services are available to vulnerable people, in the context of the Met Office extreme heat warning.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) ‘Heatwave Plan for England’ provides guidance for the National Health Service and other professional bodies to reduce the risks to health from prolonged exposure to severe heat, including for vulnerable people. The UKHSA and the Met Office issue heat alerts to relevant health and social care professionals, providing advance warning of high temperatures to ensure that the impact of heat on people's health is minimised.

Temperature: Health Hazards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help protect (a) elderly and (b) all people from the negative health effects of high temperatures.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) ‘Heatwave Plan for England’ provides guidance for the National Health Service and other professional bodies to reduce the risks to health from prolonged exposure to severe heat, including elderly people. The UKHSA and the Met Office issue heat alerts to relevant health and social care professionals, providing advance warning of high temperatures to ensure that the impact of heat on people's health is minimised.The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have engaged with local resilience forums to raise awareness of the latest guidance, including heat health toolkits.

Temperature: Health Hazards

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the NHS in dealing with additional pressures due to extreme heat in summer 2022.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) ‘Heatwave Plan for England’ provides guidance for the National Health Service and other professional bodies to reduce the risks to health from prolonged exposure to severe heat. The Plan promotes long-term planning and preparations which aim to reduce pressure on the NHS during periods of extreme heat. The UKHSA and the Met Office issue heat alerts to relevant health and social care professionals, providing advance warning of high temperatures to ensure that the impact of heat on people's health is minimised and address any increased demand for services.

Hospitals: Buildings

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the climate resilience of hospital buildings in England.

Maggie Throup: NHS England routinely monitors National Health Service facilities using integrated risk assessments. The ‘Third Health and Care Adaptation Report’, published in December 2021 by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), sets out the approach to assessing and responding to climate risks in the health sector.The climate resilience of hospital buildings is assessed in the ‘UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022’ (CCRA3). The Department, NHS England and the UKHSA are developing plans to address the risks in the CCRA3 and improve the climate resilience of the health sector in the third National Adaptation Programme, in line with the United Kingdom’s commitments made through the COP26 Health Programme.

Life Expectancy

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of regional disparities in life expectancy; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes health indicators at regional and local authority level in the Public Health Outcomes Framework and other related profiles. These indicators include life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy at birth and at 65 years old and within-area inequality in life expectancy at birth and 65 years old. This assists national and local government and health services to reduce health disparities.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of claims submitted to the Vaccine Damages Payment Scheme have (a) started processing, (b) been referred for medical assessment and (c) been settled as on 13 July 2022.

Maggie Throup: As of 13 July 2022, there are 2,249 registered active claims relating to all vaccinations, with all active claims processed in accordance with the criteria of the Scheme. Of these, 167 claims or 7% have been referred for medical assessment, following the award of the contract for medical assessments in March 2022 to increase capacity. As of 13 July 2022, 25 claim decisions or 1% had been communicated to claimants.

Gambling: Suicide

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Public Health England entitled Gambling-related harms evidence review: the economic and social cost of harms, published in September 2021, if he will publish the full numerical mathematical calculation that was the basis for stating that there were 409 deaths by suicide associated with problem gambling only.

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Public Health England entitled Gambling-related harms evidence review: the economic and social cost of harms, published in September 2021, if he will publish the full numerical mathematical calculation that was the basis for the estimate of the £619.2m annual cost of suicides associated with problem gambling.

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Public Health England entitled Gambling-related harms evidence review: the economic and social cost of harms, published in September 2021, if he will publish the full numerical mathematical calculation that was the basis for the estimate of the £335.5m cost of depression associated with gambling only.

Maggie Throup: The Department is reviewing the evidence published in Public Health England's ‘Gambling-related harms evidence review: the economic and social cost of harms’ report. We plan to publish an addendum in the autumn setting out the specific calculations and modelling assumptions in the report.

Prescription Drugs: Addictions

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 125 of Public Health England's report entitled Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines, published in December 2020, for what reason a helpline or website has not been funded for people who are dependent on prescription drugs.

Maggie Throup: The 2019 review recommended that the Department consider the development of a time-limited national helpline and associated website. However, the Department’s recent Spending Review settlement did not allow for funding to be allocated to this recommendation.To support those dependent on prescription medication, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued guidelines on chronic pain and medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms. NHS England is developing a framework to support integrated Care boards on prescribing medicines which can cause dependence and withdrawal. This will inform the development of services which can offer alternatives to medicines and support patients experiencing prescribed drug dependence or withdrawal. The framework is expected to be published in autumn 2022.

Department for International Trade

English Language: Education

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of leaving the European Union on the UK's English language teaching sector.

Andrew Griffith: I am aware of the importance of the European market for the UK’s English language teaching sector with three of the top 10 source markets EU member countries. My Department will continue to work closely with the sector through the International Education Strategy, including by providing support for English UK’s ‘English with Confidence’ campaign, and by hosting a number of European English language teaching (ELT) agents for an upcoming familiarisation visit.

English Language: Education

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to English UK's position paper Teaching the World: how the government can support our rebuilding strategy for UK ELT, published in May 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report.

Andrew Griffith: The Department for International Trade (DIT) works very closely with English UK, who are members of the Education Sector Advisory Group that I co-chair with the Department for Education’s Skills Minister. DIT has provided support for English UK’s English with Confidence campaign, including through the production of promotional material and will be hosting around 50 overseas English language teaching (ELT) agents during an upcoming familiarisation visit. We will continue to ensure that the ELT sector’s recovery and ambition is captured in the Government’s International Education Strategy and will work through, with English UK, the implications of their recent position paper.